When All Hope Is Lost
by s.leonheart
Summary: Squall is forced to save the world. Features characters from most FF games. If you liked the story of FF8 - you will like this. Squinoa
1. The World As It Was

Chapter One - The World As We Know It  
  
A long time ago, in a world very different to the one we know now, there lived a race of elves, known as the Mercery's. They knew no evil and rose above all pain and hatred. They were a group of very powerful and immortal 'humans'. They could experience all good human emotions - happiness, love, joy, but could not feel ones such as hatred, greed and self-pride. They could hate - but only through an act upon which their loved ones suffered. They were immortal creatures and the only way that they could die was if they were slain in battle. Still, the way had to be extremely precise. They had to be stabbed through the heart - for that was the one true thing they had compared to humans - a pure heart - no corruption. There was, as there were for most races, a supreme being, the legendary one. The Mercery's world - which was vaster than that of Earth - held only one of these.  
  
The legendary one was a Mercery - born into the original group - the purest of all beings. His name was shrouded in mystery, yet his appearance was left up to the imagination. People who claimed to have seen him - and there were quite a few - all told of the same description of an elf. They all said that he possessed eyes the colour of the rippling sea and the endless sky, a supernatural blue. He was known to be the best gunblade fighter around in Gaia.  
  
Gaia was a world populated by humans, sorceresses and monsters. Near enough the whole population of Gaia had searched for him, without succession. The legend goes that all the five sectors of Gaia had searched from the edges of the world to find the one and had all gathered in the centre, now known as Luca - or 'the high sector'. This is the world's capital and its legendary birth. 


	2. Stranger In The Forest

Chapter Two - Stranger In The Forest  
  
He had travelled many miles, trying to keep himself unknown. He was weary and tired and dreadfully cold as he sat down on a pile of leaves, sheltered from the harsh weather by a large and very old oak tree. He desperately needed to find Luca if he was to find out about himself, his parents and his past. He decided to stay in this spot for a few hours to get himself ready for his visit to the world's capital. Under the noise of the billowing brook and the downpour from the heavens, he could feel the weight of his long journey falling onto his eyelids. Hours passed, when suddenly he awoke. He could hear voices, which startled him, as when he fell asleep he almost certainly thought he was alone.  
  
"Could it be?"  
  
"No it can't - it's impossible - legend has it that he died over 10 fold years ago - fighting to save his people."  
  
He could barely make out two figures turned away from him - he couldn't make them out properly due to him just being stirred from a most blissful sleep and his eyesight was still blurry, trying to adjust to the brightness of the morning. The figures were crouched over what was left of a fire, whispering to each other. He thought nothing of it - they couldn't be whispering about him could they now? Suddenly he sat up and started to speak.  
  
"Where am I?"  
  
They just jumped in their present positions, unaware that the stranger nearby had awoken. They quickly, yet quietly swivelled round to face him. They just stared, as if the mans' face was invisible or that they had just seen a ghost.  
  
"It's him - he's here!"  
  
The two in question turned out to be humans, both dressed in blue and white. The stranger suddenly became aware of the situation and suddenly became very embarrassed - they were talking about him! Why?  
  
"Were you talking about me? I think you have me mistaken me for someone else."  
  
He looked around wearily, trying to find someone in the large expanse of the forest opening. To no avail, no one was there - only he and the two strangers. 


	3. Chapter Three: The Truth

Chapter Three - The Truth  
  
"I am sorry to disappoint, but you were the one we were talking of, beg our rudeness, but we knew not of your name." Said one of the two.  
  
"My . . my . . name is Squall."  
  
"Squall."  
  
"Squall." Both the elves echoed in wonder and amazement, hanging on to this stranger's every last word.  
  
"I can tell you I'm no one important - I have been travelling for weeks to find Luca - to find out of my birth and my past. I am no one of importance - look at my clothes - I am penniless, I am a traveller. I am just a penniless traveller."  
  
"Looks can be very deceiving. You are the heir to the largest fortune that has ever been known. It is your task to decide your journey. Should it be a journey of wealth and happiness, or one that lets you save mankind?"  
  
"You are the legendary one - the chosen - I see it in your eyes - so unnaturally blue"  
  
The other one, who had been relatively quiet up till now began to speak to Squall.  
  
"Do you want to know why you never knew of your family or your past - or even your birth?"  
  
"Yes - I do. I long to find the truth. I thought that if I made it to Luca, I could find someone to help me find out those things."  
  
"That 'someone' is us." One of the them simply replies.  
  
"You have the right to know - it is your true right to know of your own past, anyone one who is denied that right is denied life."  
  
Squall was wide eyed with awe. These two complete strangers, whom he had met just a matter of minutes ago knew something that he had been searching for his whole life! He was full of hope - hope that in a few moments he would learn everything - about his parents, his birth and his past.  
  
"You were firstly born into the original founding group - the original Mercery's. You were the son of the first king and queen, their names are shrouded in mystery, so was yours - until you told us, of course."  
  
"But . . . . but . . . . how . . . . the founding group died out 40 fold years ago! Surely I can't be 400 years old!"  
  
Squall had a pang of doubt in the very depths of his stomach. He had never known of his birth or when it was. It couldn't be impossible because he knew of Mercery's living to years of old - since the beginning of time. Hence why elves were also (more rarely so) called 'the creators'. He had always realised how he was different from humans - but if he was born to the original king and queen, he must be the purest of all surviving elves!  
  
"So . . . I'm . . . a . . a . . . a Mercery?!"  
  
"Yes - the purest that there is . . . . . and you are a holder of a great prophecy . . . . you are the one to save all!" 


	4. Chapter four: Two New Friends

Chapter four -Two New Friends  
  
"Wow - hang on a minute!" shouts Squall, in total and utter disbelief.  
  
The two strangers looked upset and offended, yet for some reason, they look slightly scared.  
  
"You two aren't scared of me, are you?"  
  
"No.. we.err.ahem.you don't realise how powerful, special and rare you are to the existence of this planet, do you?"  
  
"I'm supposed to believe you two.two.."  
  
"Members of Spirit Light"  
  
"Ah .. yes, blue - the colour of truth. I stand corrected, I am sorry to not trust you two - and on that note - what are your names?"  
  
The one that was the quietest throughout stands forwards and speaks in a proud voice:  
  
"My name is Irvine"  
  
The other rises and utters his name in sheer delight:  
  
"And my name is Zell!"  
  
"Hello Irvine and Zell!"  
  
Squall couldn't help but to smile - he simply couldn't believe his luck. He took his gunblade from his weary back and placed it besides him on a pile of leaves, he soon found himself relaxing for the first time in a long while. He was in the company of two new friends. 


	5. Chapter Five: News To Me

Chapter Five - News To Me  
  
"You see," says Zell, "All folk of the world - all races depend on you to save them . . . . .but they don't know who you are - only from rumours and descriptions. No one, bar us, have ever met you and known whom you truly are. You, my dear sir, fit the grade, as me and my friend can sense the truth within you - you are the one. That was what we were discussing when you woke up and saw us."  
  
"Yes - and now that we have found you, we must take you to the grand high sector at Luca." Comments Irvine.  
  
"Really, you'd take me there?"  
  
"Yes - it is our duty to find you and keep you safe from harm on your pilgrimage."  
  
"Pilgrimage?" Squall echoed.  
  
"Yes. You must go to the five high sectors in the world - excluding the initiation grand high sector at Luca - where we are headed for now. Then if you succeed, you can save us all."  
  
When the two were talking about him saving mankind earlier, he just passed it by, thinking he had misheard, as he was very tired. This time was different - he knew he had heard right and it shocked him.  
  
"Save the world? Why? Why me? How?"  
  
"You are the purest of the purest race. Your mother and father were the first ever king and queen - but they were not truly pure, but their souls and spirit, combined together, created you - the purest of them all."  
  
"I see . . . . . .it's just . . . . just . . . what exactly will I be saving the world from?"  
  
"Ah . . . . . . .the beast that no one dares to utter . . . . the unspeakable beast."  
  
"And how am I supposed to defeat it?"  
  
"That involves the ancient art of summoning aeons."  
  
"Aeons?" Squall echoed.  
  
"You've never heard of them? Well here goes . . . there are six altogether - one in each of the high sectors, and the grand aeon, Anime, rests within the grand high sector at Luca, where you must return to again after your pilgrimage. These six aeons are the earth's guardians, extremely powerful - and only you can summon them."  
  
"We'll have to get going." Harped Zell. 


End file.
